On 10/11/09 15:42, andrel wrote:
>> We also have "money orders", where you go to the (government run) post
>> office and give them cash money, and they give you something that
>> works essentially like a check. So people who don't have a bank
>> account can still pay people who are remote.
>
> People without bank accounts?? Are you living in a third world country?

	Now _that's_ a fairly parochial statement!

> I think this German thing is for a single time. Possibly something close
> to a credit card payment. For recurring payments we use something like
> that too. Even for the ones that may change every time.

	Although probably more than half of my friends do automatic bill 
payment, I don't. I always assume it'll be a hassle if they screw up and 
take more money than they should have (I once got a phone bill exceeding 
$600 - their error).

>> We have all those options. Checks are to pay the guy down the road for
>> the used bike he sold you or something. :-)
>
> If it is a private person, I'd do that in cash. If it is a shop I'd pay

	Lots of people here don't carry cash, and mostly use cards. That 
doesn't work well in paying a guy you just met at a garage sale.

> electronically in the shop. Until a few years ago we had special cheques

	Some shops here don't take cards, or have minimum required amounts. 
Lots of people pay most of their stuff by cards, but many prefer paying 
stuff in cash. I go back and forth. I know I'm unlikely to shop at a 
store physically if they _don't_ take cash.

	Also, in many of the apartment buildings I've lived in, they take only 
checks or money orders. No credit cards, no bank cards, and certainly no 
cash.


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